Date(s) -Thursday, March 27, 2025
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: James Bay New Horizons
Categories
Join Victoria Historical Society for a talk on March 27, 2025 with Jesse Robertson about “Dragged from the Surf: Shipwrecks and Rescues on Vancouver Island’s Indigenous Shores, 1859-1906” at James Bay New Horizons, 234 Menzies Street, Victoria V8V 2G7. James Bay New Horizons opens at 7:15 pm for refreshments and conversation.
Talk begins shortly after 7:30 pm. Admission is $5 for non-members.
In 1877, the Member of Parliament for Victoria raised a motion to establish lifesaving stations “to succour shipwrecked mariners” and protect them from “murderous attacks” on the Pacific coast. Stories of Indigenous “murder” and “plunder” continued to circulate long after their actual occurrence, but the reality quite different by the late nineteenth century. In fact, Indigenous seafarers were the colonial castaway’s best hope. In the absence of an organized coast guard, Canadian officials relied on Indigenous rescuers to drag mariners from the surf in what became known as the “Graveyard of the Pacific.” This presentation examines the history of shipwrecks on Vancouver Island, showing how Indigenous first responders saved lives and reaffirmed ancient “drift rights” when sailors washed ashore and local communities were called to their aid.
Jesse Robertson is a historical consultant and PhD candidate at the University of Victoria. His dissertation examines histories of marine navigation and colonialism in the Pacific Northwest, showing how voyages of exploration, marine charts, and lighthouses transformed the coast by permitting newcomers to transit its waves without Indigenous consent or assistance. Jesse’s professional background has included dozens of oral history, Traditional Knowledge and Land Use, and archival research projects for government, religious groups, legal teams, and Indigenous clients. When he’s not in the archives, Jesse can be found playing guitar from his porch or hiking the coastal landscapes he loves to research and write about.